


Break into pieces.

by Wendihomo



Series: The Mind’s Eye [6]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Diego Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Discrimination, Emotional Trauma, F/M, Fighting, Gen, Other, Patch is a good friend, Police Academy, Racism, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Trauma, anger issues, emotional distress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 14:03:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18477745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wendihomo/pseuds/Wendihomo
Summary: It wasn’t as if Diego didn’t know he was different. He wasn’t that naive. Anyone could tell he didn’t look like the all-American golden boy and he certainly didn’t look like Klaus. Yet nobody had ever brought it up, they’d never explained it to him.





	Break into pieces.

**Author's Note:**

> Another instalment of my mini-series!  
> The feedback I’ve received so far has been really great and I’m so thankful to every one of you who’s liked, read or commented.
> 
> This story does delve into racism, and whilst no explicit racist language is used I want to mention it here, before anyone reads ahead. 
> 
> The song inspiration was ‘Put it on me’ by Matt Maeson.

It wasn’t as if Diego didn’t know he was different. He wasn’t that naive. Anyone could tell he didn’t look like the all-American golden boy and he certainly didn’t look like Klaus. Yet nobody had ever brought it up, they’d never explained it to him. 

It had been his first day in the police academy. The uniform had been far too stiff and itchy- it reminded him of the godforsaken blankets back home- and his shoes had been impossibly shiny.   
Diego had felt ready. More than that he felt excited, a giddy child like grin splitting across his face whenever someone would so much as glance in his direction.   
What they did as kids could finally be put to good. He could become something and perhaps more importantly he could become someone. 

“What made you want to be an officer?”  
He hadn’t noticed the woman approaching; extending her hand firmly.  
“I look hot in the uniform.”  
She opened her mouth to reply, and to hopefully confirm the comment-

A hand fell heavily on his shoulder.  
“You don’t belong here.”  
The words themselves didn’t particularly concern Diego, playground bullies wormed themselves into every aspect of society one way or another.  
The malice behind them did cause something in him to stir however, the look of utter disgust in the others face as though Diego was merely some dirt beneath his shoe.  
“You belong on the other side of the cell.”

You are the cold inescapable proof  
You're the evil, the way in the life and the truth  
You're revival, beginning and you're genocide  
And I watch in wonder

Maybe it was easier for them to blame him for all that was wrong in the city. You could blame the man that committed the crime easier than you could blame the society that drove him. You could blame a group of people, because as long as the heat was drawn there nobody would ever bring into question your own morals.  
Not even Patch had understood. She’d just told him to brush it off, month after month. Told him it was just how things were, that some people were just like that and no amount of bickering back could change it.

He should’ve really seen it coming.  
Words so often turned into clenched fists.  
Diego hadn’t even thrown the first hit.  
“We can’t have someone with your temper here.”  
Diego wondered if things would’ve worked better if he’d been spineless. If he’d been as loyal as Luther. An obedient dog, really.  
“We have to let you go.”  
Nobody addressed it when he left the office without his badge and gun. Nobody offered a hand in moving his stuff, nobody even acknowledged what had happened.

Patch later told him that people ignored it because it made them uncomfortable. That it wasn’t fair but it was out of their control.  
Diego said it was bullshit.

It didn’t matter how hard he’d fought to be on equal footing, racism was rooted so deeply within the force most people didn’t even realise it was there.

Diego hit the punching bag hard; vision hazy with exhaustion and maybe something else.   
He could feel the pressure sting with every punch, bruised and battered skin tearing at the knuckle. 

I know that you'd never feel like I do  
And I'd break into pieces right in front of you  
And I'd burn down the city and string up the noose  
And you watch in wonder


End file.
